Kinetoscope.



T. H. BLAIR.

KINETOSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1910.

Patented June 6, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 [nvenior Thomas HBZau:

if zorney Ima T. H. BLAIR.

KINETOSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.21 1910. 1,186,069. Patented June 6, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' z; I Go Q Minesses o0 [720% 7710172415 HBZair wzm By AM iiiornqy T. H. BLAIR.

KINETOSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1910.

1 1 86,069 Patented J 11116 6, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4 14 i 1165565. Inventor Thomowf/Blain A: Z q 62 5 K wiomey.

THOMAS H. BLAIR, .015 NOBTHBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

KINETOSCOBE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1910. Serial No. 588,375.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS H. B .AIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northboro, in the county of Worcester and v Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have in- 'vented a new and useful Improvement in Kinetoscopes, of which the following is a specification accompanied by draw ngs forming a part ofthe same.

The objects of my present invention are to increase the period of rest and correspondingly decrease the period of movement of the film; to simplify and render more efiicient the film moving mechanism; and to remove the flickering upon the screen common in machines of this class; and these objects, among others, I accomplish by the construction and arrangement of parts as 1 hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a kinetoscope embodying my invention. Fig. 2 1s a rear view with the side of the case removed to disclose the operative mechanism. Fig. 3

' sectional view on the plane of the broken line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the plane of the broken line 55, Fig. 2,

showing the film actuating mechanism in its operative position. Fig. 6 represents the same sectional view as Fig. 5, but with the film actuating mechanism in position to receive the film. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the driving mechanism for imparting an intermittent movement to the film. 'Fig. 8 is a detached view of the star wheel of the film actuating mechanism shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 7.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the difi'erent figures. Referring 'to Fig. 1 of the drawings 2 denotes a stand or table upon; which is mounted a film actuating mechanism, portions of which are inclosed within'casings,

one of which is shown at 2. Supported upon a framework. 3. above the film actuating mechanism is a casing 4 for containing the coil of film as'it is delivered to the film actuating mechanism. Below the table 1- is a casing 5 .for containing-therewound coil of film. The casing 4 is divided horizontally at its center, with the upper half 4 hinged atone end to permit the casing to be opened to receive a spool containing a coil of Patented June 6, 1916.

end of a plate10, which is attached to an elastic plate or spring 11, fastened at its upper end to the upper half 4 of the casing. While the film is being delivered from the casing 4 its tension exerts a sufiicient pressure against the roll 9 to slightly draw the plate 10 away from the casing and pro vide a free passage for the film. In case the film breaks or the tension is otherwise removed, the elasticity of the spring 11 will return the plate 10 against the casing, with the edges of the plate 10 in contact with the casing, thereby closing the passage as a precaution against the liability of fire entering the casing 4 in case the film becomes ignited.

The film 12 is moved through the machine by the film actuating mechanism and is finally wound upon a spool held within the casing '5 and attached to a spindle 13, which carries upon its outer end a belt pulley 14,-

having a belt connection 15 with a pulley 16 carried upona shaft 17. The shaft 17 is rotated by any suitable means, in the present instance by the crank handle 18. The belt 15 is carried around a tightening pulley 19 supported in one arm 20 of a bell crank. The weight of the other arm 21 of the bell crank serves to carry the tightening pulley 19 against the belt and hold the latter sufficiently taut to cause it to rotate the winding spool on the spindle 13. The free end of the arm 21 carries a horizontal pin 22, beneath which the film 12 passes and thence between the rolls 23 and 24 to the winding spool in the case 5'. If the tension of the film 12 as it passes to the winding spool exceeds the weight of the arm 21 the latter will be raised, and the pressure of the tight ening pulley 19 upon the belt reduced to allow the belt to slip on the pulley 14, thereby checking the winding and preventing an undue strain from being exerted upon the film. Within the casing 5 is a safety device which is the duplicate of that employed in connection with the casing 4, for

closing the passage to the casing whenever cated by the broken line 25. As the film iS withdrawn from the casing 4 it passes over a spool 26 loosely journaled in brackets 27, thence beneath a sprocket wheel 28 and between it and a loosely journaled roll 29, having grooves 30, 31, to receive the teeth of the sprocket wheel 28. From the sprocket wheel 28 the film forms a loop, as shown at 25, Fig. 5, and passes downward in front of a plate forming part of a movable frame 32 to a sprocket wheel The film then passes between the sprocket wheel 33 and a loosely journaled roll 34, provided with grooves to receive the teeth of the sprocket wheel, to the rewinding mechanism already described. The teeth of the sprocket wheels 28 and 33 engage small apertures in the opposite edges of the film, so that the rotation of the sprocket wheels will impart a forward move ment to the film in the direction of the arrows 35 and 36.

By means of actuating mechanism, as hereinafter described, the rotation of the sprocket wheel 28 is continuous, while that of the sprocket wheel 33 is intermittent, and for this reason the loop 25 is provided to prevent undue tension upon the film between the spocket wheels.

The mechanism for imparting a continuous rotary motion to the sprocket wheels 28 and an intermittent rotary motion to the sprocket wheels 33 by the continued rotation of the shaft 17 is inclosed in casings 2 and 37 placed side by side, with an open space between them, as shown in Fig. 2, which represents a rear view of the two casings, with the rear walls removed. Upon the top of the casings 2 and 37 is a plate 38 which serves as a cover for both casingsand as a support for the brackets 27 in which the spool 26 is loosely journaled. The driving shaft 17 is journaled in the casing 2 and carries a gear 39 which engages a pinion 40, journaled in bearings on the plate 38 and projecting above the plate in position to be engaged by a pinion 41 on a shaft 42 which carries the sprocket wheels 28, whereby a continuous motion is imparted to the sprocket wheels 28. The gear 39 also engages a pinion 43 which is attached to a gear 44 both turning loosely on a stud 45 held by the casing 2. The gear 44 engages a pinion 46 attached to a shaft 47 which is journaled in bearings in the casings 2 and 37, and carries upon its outer end a balance wheel 48. Connecting the casings u and 37 and preferably integral therewith is a barrel or sleeve 47 inclosing the shaft 47 between the casings 2 and 37 with an annular space between the shaft 47 and the sleeve 47 through which oil may pass from the casing 2 to the casing 37.

Attached to the shaft 47 is a disk wheel 49 having an annular groove 50 in its periph-- naled in bearings in the casings 2 and 37 and in the open space between the casings 2 and 37 it carries the sprocket wheels 33. The star wheel 51 consists of a disk having four equidistant radial slots 54, which are period ically engaged by a driving pin 55 supported at its ends in the disk wheel 49 and extending across the annular groove 50.

Each engagement of the driving pin 55 with. one of the radial slots 54 turns the star wheel one quarter of a revolution. The star wheel 51 is provided on its edge with notches 56 which are engaged during each period of rest of the star wheel 51 by a locking pin 57 carriedin the end of a lever 58 which is pivoted at 59 to a fixed part of the machine.

The lever 58 carries a cam roll 60 which runs in a cam groove 61 on the side of the disk wheel 49. The cam roll 60 is held against the inner side of the cam groove 81 by means of a spiral. spring 62 which connects one end of the lever 58 with the casing 37. The spring 62 serves to take up any lost motion which might occur in any part of the cam groove 61, but the cam groove is posi tive in its action and serves to rock the lever 58 in both directions, for the purpose of carrying the locking pin 57 into and out of the notches 56. The action of the driving pin 55 in imparting an intermittent mo tion to the star wheel 51 and the action of the cam groove 61 in raising and lowering the locking pin 57 are so timed that the locking pin will be carried out of one of the notches 56 during the movement of the star wheel and will be inserted in one of the notches 56 during its period of rest.

In order to insure the certain operation of the star wheel when it is moved at a high rate of speed, I make the outer ends of each of the radial slots 54 slightly curved, as shown at 63, Fig. 8, the curvature being con-- centric with and corresponding to the path of the driving pin 55 as the latter enters the edge of the star wheel. During the passage of the driving pin 55 through the curved section 63 of the radial slots no mo tion will be imparted to the star wheel, but the driving pin 55 will then serve to lock the star wheel from movement and allow cam groove 61 to complete the removal of the locking pin 57 from one of the notches 56. The driving pin 55 and the locking pin 57 are therefore both in engagement with the star wheel during the time in which the outer movement of the locking pin overlaps the inward movement of the driving pin.

This allows the star wheel to be rotated with great rapidity without interfering with the certain and accurate operation of the driving and locking pins.

That portion of the periphery of the star wheel 51, between each of the notches 56, and that radial slot 54 which precedes the connection between the twoplates.

notch as the star wheel is rotated in the direction of the arrow 64, is made slightly eccentric to the axis of the star wheel by gradually reducing the diameter f that portion of the periphery of the star wheel approaching the notch 56, as shown at 65, Fig. 8, in which a broken line 66 concentric with the axis of the star wheel discloses theeccentricity of the periphery 65.

The eccentricity of the portion of the periphery of the star wheel provides for the gradual depression of the locking pin 57, so that by the time .it reaches one of the notches 56 it will have been depressed sufficiently to contact with the side wall 67 of the notch 56, thereby rendering the stopping of the star wheel certain at a predetermined point in its rotation, and at the same time rendering the action of the cam slot 61 less abrupt.

By my improved construction of the star wheel with the overlapping action of the locking and driving pins, I am able to increase the speed of the star wheel during its period of movement, and thereby reduce the period of its movement relatively to its period of rest. I

By reducing the time in which it is necessary to move the film and increasing the period of rest, I am able to correspondingly reduce the period in which the light is out 01f from the film, and thereby increase the illumination of the picture thrown upon the screen, and at the same time improving the quality of the illumination by decreasing the flickering effect of the light upon the screen.

A fire screen 76 is arranged to fall by gravity between the film and the source of light and is raised whenever the film acquires its required speed by its connection with a centrifugal governor 76 which is operatively connected with the shaft 47 in the usual manner of apparatus of this class. The film is illuminated from any suitable source of light arranged to shine upon the film through an opening 77, Fig. 5. in aplate 7 8 attached to a spindle 79 capable of sliding longitudinally in a fixed bearing 80, which is supported upon a bracket 81 resting upon the table 1. The plate 78 is held in ways in the plate 32 to provide a sliding he plate 32 is attached to spindles 82 and 83 which are capable of sliding longitudinally in the casing 37. Attached to the plate 32 is a rod 84 having its inner end bent at right angles and entering a slot 85 ina lever 86, pivotally supported at its lower end and provided with a handle 87 at its upper end, on which is a sliding sleeve 88, provided with a knob 89 by which the sleeve 88 may be raised and lowered on the handle 87. \Vhen the parts of the apparatus are in their operative position, as shown in Fig. 8, the sleeve 88 is depressed to bring its tip against means of the rod 8i causes the plate 32 to v be moved rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6, affording suflicient space for the film to be carried beneath the sprocket wheel 28 and in front of the plate 32, and between the sprocket wheel 33 and the loosely journaled roll 34.

When the film has been placed in position the handle 87 is moved forward, bringing the lever 86 and plate 32 into the posi tion shown in Fig. 5, when the parts are again locked in position by the depression of the sleeve 88. 4

By means of my improved film actuating mechanism by which I secure absolute accuracy of the intermittent movement, I am able to greatly reduce the period of movement of the film relative to its period of rest. By experiment I have found it possible to successfully operate the apparatus with the film movement from one ninth to one tenth the period of its rest, while hitherto so far as I am aware, the period of movement has not been less than one fourth or one fifth of the period of rest, and in many machines not less than one third. By decreasing the relative period of movement I am enabled to make the actual movement of the film much slower and thereby obviate the accelerated movements of the objectson the screen, rendering them more deliberate and in accordance with the natural movements of the objects in life.

I claim, v

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a film actuating mechanism comprising a continuously rotating driving shaft provided with a disk carrying a driving pin, a driven shaft carryingv a star wheel having equidistant radial slots with the entrance to each of said slots curved to correspond with the curvature of the path of said driving pin, whereby the driving pin will lock said star wheel from rotation during the passage of the driving pin through the curved portion of each slot. J i

2. In an apparatus of the class described, an actuating mechanism for imparting an intermittent motion to a film comprising sprocket wheels for engaging the film, a shaft carrying said sprocket wheels, a star wheel on said shaft consisting of a disk divided into sections by equidistant slots, having the inner portion of said slots arranged radially to the axis of said shaft, and with the outer portions of said slots curved tangentially to said radial portions, a driving shaft, and a driving pin parallel with the axis of said driving shaft and carried thereby in a circular path concentric with one of the curved sections of said slots When said star Wheel is at rest.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, mechanism for imparting an, intermittent motion to a film, comprising a continuously rotating driving pin, a star Wheel driven by said pin and consisting of a disk provided With equidistant radial slots communicating at their outer ends With curved slots, means for locking said star Wheel between its periods of movement, said driving pin moving in a path concentric With one of the curved slots of said star Wheel When the latter is at rest.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a mechanism for imparting an intermittent motion to a film, comprising a star Wheel having a series of radial slots communicating at their outer ends with curved slots, a-

continuously rotating shaft, a driving pin carried by said shaft and arranged to pass successively through each of said curved radial slots, whereby said star Wheel is locked from movement While the driving pin is passing through the curved slots, but moved during the passage of said pin through said radial slots 5. In an apparatus of the classdescribed, mechanism for imparting an intermittent motlon to a film, comprising sprocket Wheels for engaging the film, a shaft carrying said sprocket Wheels, a star Wheel carried by said shaft, means for imparting an intermittent motion to said star Wheel, and means for locking said Wheel between its movements,

comprising tWo pins engaging the periphery of said star Wheel With the period of engagement of one of said pins overlapping the period of engagement of the other of said pins. 1

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination With a mechanism for imparting an intermittent motion to a film, of mechanism for locking the film from movement, comprising a Wheel having a curved slot in its periphery, means 7. In an apparatus of the class described, g a locking mechanism for holding a film from movement, comprising a notched Wheel, a locking pin, means for carrying said locking pin periodically into said notch, a radial slot in said notched Wheel. having its outer end curved, a second pin, and means for moving said second pin into said curved end in a path concentric With its curvature during the engagement of said notch by said locking pin.

8. In an'apparatus of the class described, a mechanism for actuating a film intermittently, comprising a wheel having radial slots, said slots having at their outer ends curved sections, a driving pin, means for moving said driving pin in a circular path through said curved sections into and out of said radial slots, notches in the periphery of said Wheel, a locking pin and means for moving said locking pin into one of said notches while the driving pin is passing out of the curved section of a slot, and withdrawing said locking pin from a notch While said driving pin'is passing into the curved section of a slot 9. In an apparatus of the class described,

in its periphery, With the portions of theperiphery immediately in advance of said notches eccentric, a locking pin, and means for carrying said locking pin into said notch by gradual movement as the locking pin passes over the eccentric portion of the periphery.

THOMAS H. BLAIR.

Witnesses PENELOPE COMBERBACH, NELLIE WHALEN, 

